Sheet counter control circuit

ABSTRACT

A control circuit for sheet-counting apparatus of the type having a plurality counting heads using vacuum, comprising a plurality of digital counter circuits for supplying a lower or a higher voltage depending on whether the count of the digits included in each of the digital counter circuits does coincide or not with preset values, a comparator circuit receiving voltages from selected digital counter circuits and operating to give an output when any one of the input voltages is of a higher level, a first relay energized when the sheets are counted, and a second relay operated through a contact of the first relay from the output of the comparator circuit, whereby the second relay is energized only after the counting operation of the apparatus is completed and when the counted result does not coincide with the preset value.

United States Patent Shigemori et al.

[451 Mar. 28, 1972 SHEET COUNTER CONTROL CIRCUIT 2,912,242 11/1959 Richardson 271/27 [72] lnventors: gildrectfi glitlcgerlrllorgi1 Akio Yamamoto, both Primary Examiner MaynaId R Wilbur y p Assistant Examiner-Joseph M. Thesz, Jr. [73] Assignees: Kabushiki Kalsha Kokuei Kikal tto ney-Holman & Stern Seisakusho, l-lyogo-ken; Glory Kogyo Kabushiki Kalsha, Tokyo-to, Japan B TRACT [22] Filed: June 23, 1970 A control circuit for sheet-counting apparatus of the type hav- 1 ing a plurality counting heads using vacuum, comprising a plu- [2]] Appl 49,020 rality of digital counter circuits for supplying a lower or a higher voltage depending on whether the count of the digits [30] Foreign Application priority Dam included in each of the digital counter circuits does coincide or not with preset values, a comparator circuit receiving volt- June 30, Japan ages from selected counter circuits and operating to give an output when any one of the input voltages is of a U-S. SB, R, PE, level a first relay energized when the sheets are 235/9 /9 235/9 93/93 C counted, and a second relay operated through a contact of the [51] Int. Cl. .A G06m 9/09 first relay from the output of the comparator circuit, whereby Field of Search -.235/92 SB, 92 PK, 9 m the second relay is energized only after the counting operation 235/9 328/ 93/93 C; 7 /27 of the apparatus is completed and when the counted result does not coincide with the preset value. [56] References Cited 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS s r V a 2,635,811 095. .,.H?l"f '31:: '::'t"." 2 l 2. .t

Tn Tr2 Tr3 l T1 T2 "L CA1 CA2 CA3 I 4 RL4-b S CD PROXIMITY DISPLAYING T3 SWITCH CIRCUIT SHEET COUNTER CONTROL CIRCUIT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a control circuits for sheet-counting apparatus and more particularly to a type thereof wherein the counting operation of the sheets is carried out under the control of an electronic circuit.

It has been widely known to count sheets such as bank notes by a counting apparatus comprising a holder for securely holding a pack of the sheets, a counting rotor having a plurality of counting heads, a motor for driving the counting rotor, a vacuum device for applying vacuum to the counting heads, and a counting mechanism operating in cooperation with the counting heads for counting and displaying the counted results and thereafter releasing from the holder the pack of the sheets when the counted results coincide with a predetermined value.

However, the sheet counting apparatus of the above described organization has been accompanied by various kinds of difficulties in the production, maintenance, and adjustment thereof for obtaining a fool-proof operation of the apparatus in counting important sheets such as bank notes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is to provide a control device to be employed in a sheet-counting apparatus, whereby all of the above described difficulties in the conventional sheet-counting apparatus can be substantially eliminated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel control circuit for a sheet-counting apparatus which is simple in production, maintenance, and adjustment, and the operation of which is highly reliable.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel control device for the sheet-counting apparatus, wherein the possibility of wear of parts is substantially eliminated, and the operational life of the control device is substantially increased.

These and other objects of the present invention can be achieved by a novel control device for a sheet-counting apparatus, which comprises a proximity switch operable in cooperation with the counting heads of the apparatus, a plurality of digital counter circuits for supplying numerical signals from to 9 to respective digital positions in accordance with the counted numerical values, an electronic comparator circuit for comparing numerical signals supplied from preselected digital counter circuits with preset numerical signals, a first relay energized while the counting operation of the apparatus is in progress, and a second relay operated through a contact of the first relay from the output of the comparator circuit, whereby the energization of the second relay is effected depending on whether the counted numerical value of the sheets is found to be equal or not equal to the preset value after the completion of the counting operation, and the holder of the pack of the sheets is thereby released or not released.

The nature, principle, and the utility of the present invention will be made more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a control circuit according to the present invention which is employed in a sheetcounting apparatus; and

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram related to a vacuum switch which is switched over to a position connected to a first relay whenever the sheet-counting apparatus is counting sheets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, there are indicated -a comparator circuit P having input terminals T1 and T2 and an output terminal T3 connected to a power source and having also a plurality of counting circuits CA1, CA2, and CA3 connected together in this sequence, each of said counting circuits including digital elements of 0 to 9. A proximity switch S is connected to the first counting circuit CA1, and in a known manner, the digital elements are stepped from 0 to 9 upon closure of the proximity switch S. Thus, the counting circuit CA1 supplies a digit corresponding to the units position of a number displayed in a displaying circuit CD, and the counting circuit CA2 and CA3 supply digits corresponding to the tens and hundreds positions in the same number displayed in the displaying circuit CD.

Furthermore, the counting circuits CA1 and CA2 in this embodiment of the invention are connected respectively to the input terminals T1 and T2, and each of the counting circuits supplies a low-level voltage when the digit counted coincides with a preset digit, which is in this embodiment set at 0, and supplies a high-level voltage when the digit counted does not coincide with the preset digit of 0. Accordingly, the comparator circuit P does not operate to give an output will not be operated when the input voltages supplied through the input terminals T1 and T2 are both at low level and will operate when either one of the input voltages is at high level.

When the comparator circuit P operates, a relay RL7 (second relay) will be energized if normally closed contact RL4-b of a relay RL4 (first relay) remains closed. The energization of the second relay RL7 under the operation of the comparator circuit as described above will interrupt a releasing circuit of a holder (not shown) holding a pack of the sheets in the sheet-counting apparatus, and the operator of the apparatus will thereby be informed of the fact that the count, for instance, of the bank notes, does not coincide with the preset value of, for instance, 100.

The input terminals T1 and T2 of the comparator circuit P are connected respectively to the terminals of the counting circuits CA1 and CA2 related to the digits 0s, and for this reason, the comparator circuit P does not operate when the digits corresponding to the units position and the tens position of the displayed number are coincident with the preset values of 0s, and the delivered voltages at the input terminals T1 and T2 of the comparator circuit P are both at low level. In this case, the preset values in the counting circuits CA1 and CA2 correspond to numbers whose units position and tens position are all zero as in the numerals 100, 200, 300,

Thus in the case where bank notes, for instance, are counted, if the counted number is revealed to be after the completion of the counting, the comparator circuit will not operate, and hence the relay coil RL7 will not be energized. In FIG. 2, V, designates a vacuum switch provided in a vacuum device of the apparatus for supplying a vacuum to a plurality of counting heads of the counting rotor of the apparatus, said switch being constructed and arranged so that it istransferred to the A side while the counting operation of the sheet counter is in progress, the relay RL4 is energized, and the normally closed contact RL4-b thereof opens a circuit between the relay RL7 and a power source terminal T3, which is in this case maintained at+l4 v.

As a result, the relay RL7 is not operated, and when the counting operation of the sheet counter has been completed, the vacuum switch Vs is thrown to the B side as shown in FIG. 2. Because the relay RL4 is not energized any more, the normally closed contact RL4-b remains closed, and the energization or deenergization of the relay RL7 is merely determined by the voltage applied to the input terminals T1 and T2.

As is apparent from the above description, the comparator circuit is operated only after the completion of the counting operation of the sheet counter, and advantageous features such as the result of the comparison between the set value and the counted value being detected by the release or non-release of the holding device of the sheets can be obtained.

We claim:

1. in a sheet-counting apparatus which includes: a device for clamping a pack of sheets to be counted, a counting device having a plurality of counting heads, a vacuum device for applying vacuum to the counting heads, and an electrical control circuit, the control circuit comprising: a plurality of counting circuits each including digital elements; a comparator circuit having inputs which are connected to outputs of said plurality of counting circuits, the comparator being adapted to compare counted results of said counting circuits with preset respective count-values and to give out an output only if at least one of the counted results differs from its corresponding preset count-value; a first relay provided with a switch means which is closed to energize the relay while sheets are being counted and opened to deenergize the relay when a counting operation is completed, said first relay having a contact means which is normally closed; a second relay connected between an output of the comparator and said contact means of the first relay, to be energized by an output of the comparator circuit, the contact means being further connected to a power source, so that when a counting operation is completed, the contact means is closed and the second relay operates to actuate the device clamping the pack of sheets to release the pack of sheets only when the counts of the counting circuits coincide with their corresponding preset count-values.

2. A control circuit as defined in claim 1 in which said switch means comprises a vacuum switch provided in the vacuum device of the sheet-counting apparatus, which is closed to energize the first relay while sheets are being counted, the control circuit including means adapted to maintain a vacuum level of said vacuum device above a predetermined level on energization of the first relay.

3. A control circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which the first relay is energized, and the control circuit includes means which retains said contact means in an open position so that said second relay is rendered inoperable during a sheet-counting operation.

4. A control circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which outputs of said plurality of counting circuits comprise voltages, and wherein the counting circuits are adapted to deliver higher voltage levels when the counts of the counted sheets do not coincide with preset respective count values, compared to voltage levels the counting circuits deliver when the counts of the counted sheets coincide with preset respective count values. 

1. In a sheet-counting apparatus which includes: a device for clamping a pack of sheets to be counted, a counting device having a plurality of counting heads, a vacuum device for applying vacuum to the counting heads, and an electrical control circuit, the control circuit comprising: a plurality of counting circuits each including digital elements; a comparator circuit having inputs which are connected to outputs of said plurality of counting circuits, the comparator being adapted to compare counted results of said counting circuits with preset respective count-values and to give out an output only if at least one of the counted results differs from its corresponding preset countvalue; a first relay provided with a switch means which is closed to energize the relay while sheets are being counted and opened to deenergize the relay when a counting operation is completed, said first relay having a contact means which is normally closed; a second relay connected between an output of the comparator and said contact means of the first relay, to be energized by an output of the comparator circuit, the contact means being further connected to a power source, so that when a counting operation is completed, the contact means is closed and the second relay operates to actuate the device clamping the pack of sheets to release the pack of sheets only when the counts of the counting circuits coincide with their corresponding preset count-values.
 2. A control circuit as defined in claim 1 in which said switch means comprises a vacuum switch provided in the vacuum device of the sheet-counting apparatus, which is closed to energize the first relay while sheets are being counted, the control circuit including means adapted to maintain a vacuum level of said vacuum device above a predetermined level on energization of the first relay.
 3. A control circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which the first relay is energized, and the control circuit includes means which retains said contact means in an open position so that said second relay is rendered inoperable during a sheet-counting operation.
 4. A control circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which outputs of said plurality of counting circuits comprise voltages, and wherein the counting circuits are adapted to deliver higher voltage levels when the counts of the counted sheets do not coincide with preset respective count values, compared to voltage levels the counting circuits deliver when the counts of the counted sheets coincide with preset respective count values. 